Progressive change-speed gear



-May 29, 1923.

' C. E. HENRIOD PROGRESSIVE CHANGE sPEED' GEAR Fi led March 23,- 1921 E 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY 7g w f ATTORNEY 1,457,062 c. E. 'HENRIOD PROGRESSIVE CHANGE sPriE'D GEAR Filed March 23, 1921' 2 Sfieets-Sheet 2 mvtmnn [ZQrL/e; [/aaarifinrzkl BY v ATTORNEY- Patented May 29, 1923.

CHARLES nnounnn nnnnron, or nEUInLY-sun-snmn, Frame.

PROGRESSIVE CHANGE-SPEED GEAR.

Application filed March 23, 1921. Serial No. 454,831.

Y '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES 'EnoUA n' Hnnnron, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland. and resident of lleurlly-sur-Se'me, Seine, France (post-office address 11 Rue St.

Pierre), have invented certain Improve ments in Progressive GhangeSpeed Gears, which improvements are fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to certain improveinents in progressive change speed gear de vices provided in an engine fly wheel.

Devices are already known, provided'ln an engine fly wheel, which can impart a movement of acceleration or'retardation to: one or more planetary or central wheels in order to give a central wheel constltuting' the resistance, all the forward and reverse speeds.

invention consists in arranging between the transmission parts secured to the engine "fly wheel and the resistance,fa non-reversible device working in normal times by elec-- tricity but operable mechanically when the electric current fails.

By non-reversible device must be understood a device owing to which the transmission part transmits its action to the resistance without being capable of being acted upon by the latter.

There are already in existence engine fiy' wheels in which non-reversible devices have been utilized (see more particularly my companion application filed 16th November, 1920, Serial No. 424,534)

The present invention relates'to' the utilization of electric current for operating the non-reversible device.

In order to make the following descrip-' tion as clear as possibl'e, the accompanying drawing shows by way of example a fly wheel: engine with planetary or satellite pinions driven electrically.

Fi ure 1 is a front elevation ofthe engine fly wheel. v f

Figure 2 is a cross-section of the same through the central plane. I

Figure 3 is a fragmental view generally similar to Figure'2, but showing an auxiliary mechanical clutch which may be'em-' 5 ployed. v V V I It will be seen that the engine flywheel a is provided with pins orspindles a on which are mounted loose planetary or satellite pinions a; The number of these pinions 1 can vary in The characteristic feature of the presentshaft on which the resistance *geafb is tion.

practice; in the construction illustrated, there are fourof these pinions. As will be seen, said pinions engage with a central pinion b which constitutes there'- sistance.

On a fixed support 2', opposite the engine I fly wheel, is mounted a part of a conductorof current is supplied. will be seen,

electricity, to which This blade h has, as

blade it playing the a development equal to onequarter of thecircumference. 1

On each planetary gear a is mounted an ,electro-magnet d, the winding of whichis' seen at c. On the said electro-magnet d is secured a spring contact f supplyingthe current to the electro-magnet cl whe'nj'the said spring f, owing fly wheel, touches'the fixed blade 72,. l/Vhen the current passes into the electro-magnet', the magnetic field produced in the electromagnet presses the said to the rotation of the electro-magnet against the part 0 (Fig. 2) of the planetary gear a, the other'end of each lever turning around the axis a of the gear next to. the one which it operates; Intermediate its} or projection k which is along an annular groove or. track formed I in a relatively-stationaryguide member 7c located exteriorly' oi the fly wheel; and

this member ly So disposed that sector 0 which, in the 4 with the elliptical ends, each lever 70 has pivoted to it a l a apted to slide J its groove or 'track-is concentric with the axis of the fly wheel and,h ence, with the mounted, but may be shifted by means of'a suitable adjusting device (not shown)- t bring the track'into'eccentric relation-to said" parts and to-vary the degree'otsuch Y shownand described more fully in myprion eccentricity; The' said guide member is application No. 424,534, filed November 16, 1920, to 'whichreference may be had; it forms per Se no part oft-he present inven- In operation, and assuming that the flv'" wheel is rotating at a constantspeech-and" that the track in the guide member in occupies its concentric position, the planetary gears and their connected magnets will be carried around with the fly wheel; and as each gear and magnet come opposite the conductor blade h, the magnet will become energized, due to 'the engagement of its brush f with said conductor, such action effecting a magnetic coupling of the gear and magnet. Now the levers in will not be rocked or oscillated at this time, because their projections 70 will travel idly along the track in guide is, due to the then concentric position of said track, so that no movement will be imparted thereby to the gear sectors 0. Consequently, the coupled magnet and planetary gear will be held against axial rotation. Under these conditions, the planetary gears. since they mesh with the resistance gear Z), will positively drive the latter at the speed of the tly wheel, this action COIiStitUtiIlg what may he termed. the direct drive; it being understood, oi course, that before each-planetary gear becomes unclutched from its magnet, due to the disengagement of the associated brush 7 from blade 71. the latter is engaged by the .brush carried by the next magnet. which is thereby energized and clutched to its planetary gear, and so on, so that the drive is continuous.

It, now, the guide member 7a" is shifted to move its track into eccentric position, then each lever 70, during one portion of its travel with the fly wheel. will be swung first in one direction and then in the other; such oscillation being transmitted through rack is to the associated sector 0 and its carrier magnet, which are thereby rotated. The timing or" the parts is such that the oscillation of each lever occurs after the magnet which it operates becomes clutched to the corresponding planetary gear a, so

that the two are rotated axially as a unit.

during the initial stroke of the lever. Consequently, during this axial rotation the planetary gear will roll idly along the periphery of the resistance gear I) at a speed which depends upon the amplitude of the stroke of the lever and the size of the resistance gear; and it follows. therefore, that a result of such idle rotation of each successive planetary gear, the resistance gear is no longer driven at the speed of the fly wheel, but at a speed whichis less than fly wheel speed. The greater the amplitude of oscillation becomes, the

more the speed of the resistance gear will be reduced, until it finally reaches zero, at which time the gears a will roll around gear 7) at a speed so fast as not to drive it at all; and when such speed is exceeded. then the reverse drive will commence, and the resistance gear will begin to be ro .ated backward, by the planetary gears.

'tate therewith, as indicated at 7'.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the magnetic clutch devices, when coupled to the planetary gears and rotated by the operating levers, turn said planetary gears in one direction only about their axes. There is, of course, one operating lever Z; associated with each magnet, as has already been stated; but to facilitate understanding of the drawing, only two of these levers are represented in Fig. l, and they are entirely omitted from Fig. 2. The arcuate conductor blade 71- is so arranged that each magnet a becomes energized just before the initial swinging movement of the associated lever; during which time the magnet is clutched to the planetary gear and rotates it axially, as above explained. When the operating lever swings in the opposite direction. and the magnet is turned backward, this movement is not imparted to the planetary gear because it only commences after the brush f has left the conductor blade and the magnet has become deenergized and has unclutched the planetary gear.

The above applies, of course, to the case inwhich the guide track is eccentric to the fly wheel and produces the oscillation of the operating levers. When said track is concentric, then the levers have no oscillation and, hence, lock the magnets against axial rotation, so that the planetary gears are likewise locked during the time that they are clutched to the magnets. thus enabling the direct drive to be etlected.

As already stated, the mechanism must be capable of operating even it the electric current should fail from any cause. This may be effected. by interposing a mechanical clutch of any desired type between the armature 0 ot the planetary gear a and the adjacent tace of the magnet'd; the slight movement necessary to bring the two parts together to enable the driving being effected by the spring brush 7 when the latter rubs against a suitable ramp or cam member. Fig. ,3 shows one form which this clutch device may take in practice, the construction being otherwise identical with that repre sented in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 3

the armature 0 is engagement with similar teeth 71 formed on the adjacent face of a disk or collar i which fits in a seat provided limit in the magnet (Z and which is keyed to said magnet to ro- This clutch collar 71 loosely encircles the axis or spindle a of the planetary gear and is capable of a lateral sliding movement with relation thereto, as well as to the magnet.'due to its aforementioned key connection said collar being normally held in retracted position, with its teeth disengaged from the armature teeth, by means of a spring m which is interposed between the armature mechanical part comes into action, the sprin of the two sets of clutch teeth 0' and i, the

collaris moved inwardly, or to the left in F ig. 3, by a sliding'sleeve, Z, which bears.

against it and which is itself forced inward along spindle a by the action of brush f when the latter engages an actuating ramp or the like (not shown). Hence, in normal operation, when the current is on, the mechanical clutch parts will remain uncoupled; but if the current fails for any reason, then each planetary. gear in succession, as it comes into the zone of action, will be clutched mechanically to its magnet by the inward movement/of 'its respective clutch sleeve, as will be understood. The precise form of actuating ramp or cam is immaterial to the invention, and constitutes no part thereof; nor isits exactrlooation material, beyond the factthat, it must lie in the path traveled by the enlarged or headed free end of the spring brush. 7

It will be apparent from .the foregoing that there is, in eflect, a double clutch associated with each planetary gear to tempora; ri'ly lock it against rotation during a portion of its revolution with the .fly wheel. lVhen the current is fon, this, clutch is closed magnetically by the brush 7 which conducts the current from blade h to magnet d, which latter is thereby energized and becomes coupled to its armature and, hence, to the planetary gear to whichthe armature is fastened; the mechanical part ofthe clutch being inactive under such conditions. If the current fails, however, with the result that'the magnetic coupling becomes ineffective, then the brush f forcing sleeve 1 and collar iinwar and engaging the ,coacting clutch teeth 2" and c; the clutching action being accomplished in both cases by means of the brush.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is V 1. Ina progressive change-speed mechanism, the combination, with a motor fly wheel adapted to turn at the speed of the motor, a resistance gear disposed concentric with the fly wheel, and a set of planetary gears carried by the fly wheel to revolve bodily therewith and constantly meshing with the resistance gear; of means, including a magnetic clutch, associated with each planetary gear to lock the same against axial rotation at a predetermined point in the revolution of the planetary gear with the fly wheel; and means for automatically energizing each clutch in succession as itreaches such point.

2. In a progressive change-speed mechanism. the combination, with a motor fly wheel adapted to turn at the speed of the motor, a resistance gear disposed concentric with the fly wheel, and a set of planetary gear-s- :oarried by the fly-wheel to revolve with the resistance gear; of means, including a magnetic clutch, associated with each planetary gear to lock the same agalnst axial rotation at a predeterminedpoint in the revolution of the planetary gear; with the fly wheel; an arcuate current conductor ofgivenlength; 1 and a brush carried by each clutchto engage and travel along said conductor and thereby energize the clutch during such travel. p 3., In a progressive change-speedmechanism, the combination, with a motor fly wheel adapted to turn at the'speed ofithe bodily therewith and constantly meshing motor, a resistance gear disposed concentric. 1

with the fly wheehfand'a set of planetary;

gears carried by the fly wheel to revolve with the resistance gear of means, including bodily therewith and constantly "meshing a clutch, associated with eachplanetary gear to lock the same against axial rotation ata' predetermined point in the revolution of the planetary gear with the flywheel anclmeans for automatically, supplying electric current to magnetically close-each clutchin succes sion as it reaches such point,said' means also acting to. mechanically close each clutch in; successlon in case the current supply fails,

v 4. In a progressive change-speedmechanism, the combination, with a motor fly 1 wheel adapted to turn atthe-speed of the I motor, a resistance gear disposed concentric with the fly wheel, and a set of planetary gears carried by the 'fly wheel to revolve bodily therewith :and constantly meshing with the resistance gear of means, including a clutch. associated with each planetary gear tO-glQCk the same against axial rotation at a'predetermined point in the revolu tion of'thelplanetary gear with thejfly wheel:

an arcuatecurrent conductoryand a spring contact member carried by each clutch and adapted to wipe against said conductor, and.

therebyfconduct current tothe clutch to close the same magnetically during its travel I along the conductor, said member also acting to mechanically close the clutch in case the current supply fails.

5. In a progressive changespeed mecha a nism, the combination, with a motor fly,

wheel adapted to turn at the speed of the motor, a resistance gear disposed concentric with the fly wheel, and a set of planetary gears carried by the flywheel torevolve bodily therewith and constantly meshing with the resistance gear; of a magnetic clutch associated with each planetary gear; means for energizing each clutch in succes 'sion to couple it to the corresponding planetary gear; and apart having a rocking" movement of variable amplitude associatedwith each clutch to control the action of the clutch and its coupled planetary gear with relation to the resistance gear.

'6. In a progressive change-speed mechanism, the combination, with a motor fly wheel, a set of pins thereon, a set of planetary gears loosely mounted on said pins to travel around with the fly wheel, and a resistance gear disposed concentric with the fly wheel and with which all of the planetary gears mesh; of an electro-magnet mounted on each pin; an annular member secured to each planetary gear and constituting the armature of the adjacent magnet; a. brush carried by each magnet; an arcuate conductor of given length engageable by each brush in succession to energize the corresponding magnet and thereby couple it to the adjacent planetary gear and means, independent of said conductor and brushes, for cont-rollin the action of each magnet and its coupled planetary gear with relation to the resistance gear. v

'7. In a progressive change-speed mechanism, the combination, with a motor fly wheel, a set of pins thereon a set of planetary gears loosely mounted on said pins to travel around with the fly wheel and a resistance gear disposed concentric with the 'fly wheel nd with which all oi the planetary gears mesh; of an electro-magnet mounted on each pin; an annular member secured to each planetary gear and constituting the armature of the adjacent magnet; means for energizing each magnet in succession, to couple it to the adjacent planetary gear; and means for controlling the action of each magnet nd its coupled planetary gear with relation to the resistance gear.

8'. In a progressive change-speed mechanism, the combination, with a motor fly wheel, a set of pins thereon a set of planetary gears loosely mounted on said pins to travel around with the fly wheel, and a resistance gear disposed concentric with the fly wheel and with which all of the planetary gears mesh; of an electro-magnet mounted on each'pin; an annular member plitude associated with each magnet to' con trol the action of the magnet and its coupled planetary gear with relation to the resistancegear.

9. In a progressive change'spced mechanismfthe combination, with a motor fly wheel, a set of pins thereon, a set of planetary gears loosely mounted on said pins to travel around with the fly wheel, and a re sistance gear disposed concentric with-the fly wheel and with which" all of the planetary gears mesh; of an electro-magnet mounted on each pin; an annular member secured to each planetarygear and'constitut-ing the armature of the adjacent magnet; means for energizing each magnet in succession, to couple it to the adjacent planetary gear; and a part having a rocking move mentof variable amplitude associated with each magnetto control the action of the magnet and its coupled planetary gear on the resistance gear. a

In testimony whereof I have signed 'this specification in the presence of two sub-- scribing witnesses.

CHARLES. ElJOlJARD HENRIOD.

lWitnesses 3 v Gnoncns PASCAL CARRIERE, GERMAINE MIoHIELs. 

